Rosalie S. Jordan

ROSALIE S. JORDAN (nee Grzych), aged 88 years, beloved wife for 62 years to David A., dearest mother of Gene, Mary King (Frank), Patrick, James and Dawn, loving grandmother of Michelle Erickson (Matthew), Frank King, Matthew King (Molly), Maggie King (Fiance Max Johnson) and Katlyn Marich (Matthew), cherished great-grandmother of Kirsten and Haley Erickson, devoted sister of 15 (all deceased).

Rosalie Jordan, loving wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister-in-law, aunt, great aunt, and friend went home to God on May 7, 2021. She was surrounded by the love of family and friends for the days and weeks prior in her family home, and was shown how supremely loved she was and will always be. Her kindness, generosity, compassion, loving nature, humor, creativity, strength, beauty, selflessness, and faithfulness was an inspiration to all who had the pleasure and honor of meeting her. Her memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 15, 2021 at Rosalie and David’s church: Visitation of Mary Parish, Annunciation Church at 55 Broad St, Akron, OH 44305. There will be a gathering at 10:30 am in the church, with the memorial mass at 11:00 am. The internment will be held at 2:30 pm at Calvary Cemetery at 10000 Miles Ave, Cleveland, OH 44105.

Rosalie was the youngest of 15 children of immigrant parents who only spoke Polish. The children worked on their family’s farm in Indiana and were forced to leave school to come work full-time once they were old enough. They were devout Catholics, which led to Rosalie meeting the love of her life, David.

Rosalie met David in a Polish church in East Chicago, Indiana where they were introduced by the parish priest. Rosalie ended up joining the church choir David was directing shortly thereafter, partially because of her love of God and partially because Dave looked like Elvis Presley, her favorite singer. Rosalie’s mother wanted her daughter to marry a Polish man and Dave sang all of the masses in Polish, but didn’t actually speak the language. He learned different phrases and her mother wasn’t aware until later that he didn’t actually speak Polish. Their first date was driving around in Dave’s red Oldsmobile convertible, which she loved, and the traveling would continue throughout their lives together. After about 2 years of dating, they were married and would have celebrated their 62nd anniversary on June 13, 2021.

They moved amongst several different states for Dave’s career and calling as a church musician, giving birth to their eldest son, Gene, in Sioux Falls, SD during a snow storm. They moved to Dowagiac, MI where they managed a hotel. Later they would move to Gary, Indiana where they would give birth to Mary, Patrick, and James. Dave and Rosie, as she was called by many, enjoyed entertaining their friends and family at their various homes. They moved to other cities where Rosie worked in a restaurant and her brothers’ propeller factory (Grish Brothers) while they raised their 4 children. Eventually they would move back to Indiana where they gave birth to their youngest daughter, Dawn. Before Dawn’s first birthday, the entire family moved to Cleveland Heights, OH, where Dave and Rosie would spend the rest of their lives together. Rosie continued to sing in the church choirs that Dave directed and walked her faith every day of her life. Her devotion to God and her family was unwavering, showing how she was truly one of His faithful servants.

Rosalie enjoyed more than just singing in choirs, she also loved baseball. In her younger years, she and her friend would take the train to different ballparks to see the Cubs, White Sox, and Yankees. She followed different teams and would frequently watch the Cleveland Indians games with her daughter, Dawn, but she said that the Cubs games were always her favorite. Besides baseball, she was an avid bowler in both her youth and adulthood, a hobby that she shared with her oldest son, Gene. She bowled in leagues and they would often bowl together.

Rosalie went back to school to complete the education that she was forced to abandon when she was younger. She then began her career as a Pharmacy Technician at Revco for approximately 10 years, then working at Kaiser Permanente in Cleveland Heights for another 25 years. Rosie was known for baking and decorating special cakes to celebrate her co-workers’ birthdays and accomplishments. She loved to bake treats and make candy, which she shared with her co-workers, friends, and family. On a regular basis Rosie was told that she should open a bakery, a compliment she appreciated.

Rosalie’s work ethic was strong and taking care of patients’ needs was always a priority for her. She would always talk, laugh, and smile with them as they visited the pharmacy. For years after she retired, they would approach her when they would see her out shopping for groceries or at a store and she would remember their full names, names of spouses and children, and all about them. She would ask how they were all doing and was genuinely concerned about them. This is another example of why she was and is so beloved.

Her superior baking skills were most well-known by her family and friends though. Every holiday, birthday, wedding, anniversary, birth of children and grandchildren, or “just because” meant a special, delicious treat. For her, every celebration evolved into a beloved family tradition. At Christmas, her favorite holiday, she would bake a variety of over 1,000 Christmas cookies to share with her family, neighbors, friends, choir members, musicians, and priests. She made sure each of her children had their favorite type of Christmas cookies, to which Jim and Pat would still fight over who would get the most refrigerator cookies. Thanksgiving meant that family and extended family would gather for her famous pumpkin chiffon pie and Easter celebrations culminated with eating her special lamb cakes decorated to perfection along with her homemade fudge shaped like Easter eggs. The family also gathered for Rosalie’s 88th birthday in March and enjoyed playing cards, telling stories, and laughing together.

Mary’s wedding to Frank King meant even more celebrations to come. The birth of each grandchild, Michelle, Matthew, Frank, Katlyn, and Maggie, meant more opportunities to share herself and celebrate them with baking. With Michelle’s wedding to Matthew Erickson, Rosalie made miniature cupcakes for each table. With the birth of her great-grandchildren, Kirsten and Haley, she was thrilled to help with the baby shower and was overjoyed to share even more of her love with her ever-growing family. She enjoyed seeing the pictures of her grandson, Frank, and his most recent fishing trip, and sharing pictures of all the grandchildren’s activities. She was thrilled to be able to continue celebrating the family weddings of Katlyn Jordan to Matthew Marrich and then of Matthew King to Molly Conroy. She was greatly looking forward to the upcoming wedding of Maggie King and Max Johnson. She was proud of all of her grandchildren and the people that they became.

Rosie loved to be creative and was known for more than just her phenomenal baking. Rosalie sewed clothes for herself and her children. She would make maternity clothes for family, as well as wedding veils and dresses for friends. Whether it was first communion clothes or the birth of a new baby, every event meant that she would be making something to celebrate. Her sewing evolved into computerized embroidery where she made fantastic quilts and clothes adorned with beautiful embroidery. Rosalie and her daughter, Dawn, would work together on creating designs and making embroidered photos of her loved ones, including her twin great-grandchildren. Her love of arts and crafts went far beyond baking and sewing. She loved knitting, pottery, glass painting, and so much more. She would make new wreaths regularly and created lace Christmas trees. Whether it was making wire and gemstone trees or trying the newest craft she found in a magazine, Rosie loved being creative. She instilled her love of arts and crafts in her children and inspired creativity. Rosie and Dawn had booths at many craft fares selling some of their joint creations from when Dawn was in kindergarten through her college years. Rosalie and her daughter, Mary, would work on creative projects together often for their homes and different family events. Rosie’s spare time was usually spent baking or making something with or for her family and friends. Her favorite color was purple, so many creations would use that color, or she would often be seen wearing purple in some form or another.

Rosalie and David also travelled extensively in and out of the US, often with their children. They loved cruises and visited various Caribbean Islands and Mexico, but Rosalie said that her true “happy place” was sitting on the balcony of the cruise ship in Alaska watching the glaciers. She also loved the crafting activities on the cruise ship and would often make things to give to friends and family. Rosie loved the first time that they went to Vegas and the many trips thereafter, both to visit family and also to play the penny slots at the casinos. They would travel to visit brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, and Nevada. Often, Gene, Mary, Pat, Jim, and Dawn would take family-vacation road trips with their parents when they were younger. Seven people in their station wagon was always an adventure. Rosie and Dave continued to travel throughout their lives, enjoying each other’s company and every new experience. From lounging by the pool in the Dominican Republic while feeding free-roaming peacocks, to celebrating their wedding anniversary at a luau in Hawaii, they travelled to celebrate their lives together. Mary and Dawn remember fondly their trips with their parents to celebrate David’s birthday by going to the Mall of America in Minnesota and to Aruba for Rosalie’s birthday. Dawn feels blessed that she also got to spend so much time travelling with her wonderful parents to experience the various cultures, sights, sounds, foods, crafts, art, and history together in places like Puerto Rico, Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel, Haiti, Jamaica, the Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Alaska, New England, and the Caribbean Islands. Every trip was filled with lots of laughter, smiles, hugs, and pure joy. No trip was ever complete though unless Rosie found special souvenirs for family and friends, yet another example of her selfless and generous nature. Rosie also loved going on shopping and day trip adventures with her daughters, spending the day laughing, talking, and just being together.

Rosalie was also a generous and charitable woman, but most didn’t know about her immense charity because she did so humbly and without acknowledgement. She would make scarves, hats, and blankets for those in need. She donated to charitable organizations, like Catholic Charities, and would always find a way to help anyone in need of a little kindness. If Rosie heard of someone in need or if someone was struggling, she would find a way to lighten their burden or give them something to make their days brighter. She touched the hearts of many through small acts and showed people that they were needed and loved.

She was immensely proud of her husband, children, and grandchildren. She was as much in love with her husband, Dave, as the day they were married, if not more. She couldn’t bear to be apart from him for long and their marriage is a shining example of true, unconditional love. Rosalie’s children meant the world to her. Gene, Mary, Pat, Jim, and Dawn were ever present in her life and she was a constant source of joy for them. Her son-in-law, Frank, her grandchildren, Michelle, Matt, Frank, Katlyn, and Maggie, and her great-grandchildren, Kirsten and Haley, were always on her mind and in her heart. Her care and concern for her sisters, brothers, sister and brother-in-laws, nieces, and nephews continued throughout her life. She loved them with all of who she was, and everyone who loved her feels the void of the loss of such a wonderful, amazing woman in their own lives. We will all miss every special piece of her as wife, mother, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, great aunt, friend, co-worker, mentor, and friend. She will continue to be a shining, inspirational, and aspirational example of faithfulness, compassion, kindness, selflessness, charity, grace, generosity, humor, strength, and unconditional, unwavering love for the rest of our lives.

Contributions in memory of Rosalie suggested to Catholic Charities, 7911 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 44102.

Family will receive friends Saturday, May 15, 2021, from 10:30 – 11 AM at Annunciation Catholic Church of Visitation of Mary Parish, 55 Broad St., Akron, OH (44305). Mass of Christian Burial following at 11 AM. Graveside services Saturday, May 15, at Calvary Cemetery, 10000 Miles Ave., Cleveland (44105) at 2:30 PM. Arrangements entrusted to THE DeJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF SOUTH EUCLID.